Splash lubricating system



L. M. AND M. A. ENDRES.

vSPLASH LUBRICATI NG SYSTEM. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 8. I921.

l 42%, 08 3 I Patented June 20, 19 22.

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LA'W'RENCE M. ENDRES AND MICHAEL A. ENDRES, OF DANE, V ISCONSIN.

SPLASH LUBRICATING SYSTEIVL Application filed October 8, 1921.

To all whom it may concern:

lie it known that we, LAWRENCE M. ENnnn-s and MICHAEL A. Ennnus, bothciti- 776115 of the United States, and residents of Dane, in the countyof Dane and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Splash Lubricating Systems; and we do hereby declarethat the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

Our invention refers to splash lubricating systems usually employed inconnection with the crank case of internal combustion engines.

The invention has, for its primary ob eet, to provide a simple,economical and effective oil reservoir for said crank cases or splashpans, having means for predeterminately controlling the level. of oilwithin the crank case with respect to the reservoir.

WVith the above objects in view, the invention consists in certainpeculiarities of construction and combination of parts as arehereinafter set forth with reference to the accompanying drawings andsubsequently claimed.

The drawing illustrates a sectional elevation of an engine crank caseand oil reser voir equipped with feed mechanism embodying the featuresof my invention.

Referring by characters to the drawings, 1 represents an engine crankcase, and 2 an oil reservoir, which is of the desired capacity. Forexample, this reservoir is ordinarily provided for containing one andonehalf gallons of oil. The reservoir is fixed to the tank in anysuitable manner and properly positioned with reference to the bottom ofthe crank case, whereby oil from said reservoir is fed therein bygravity. The reservoir is provided with a filling neck 3, having acupped head 3 adapted to receive the threaded shank 4 of a cap closure,which shank is in threaded union with the end of the filling neck.

In this exemplifieation of our invention, the cap is also provided witha depending oil gauge stem 5. Hence when it is desired to determine thelevel of oil in the reservo1r, the can can be removed and the moistenedA stem will indicate the depth of oil.

The essential element of our invention includes a vent pipe 6, whichpipe extends through the reservoir, as shown, from top to bottom and hasan open mouth 6, whereby atmospheric pressure is admitted thereto.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 20. 192.

Serial No. 506,374.

The lower end of the vent pipe is connected by a T 7 to a gravity feedpipe 8, which feed pipe is coupled to the bottom of the tank 1, and alsoby a branch 8' to the bottom of the oil reservoir 2. The branch pipe 8is provided with a controlling valve, whereby the supply of oil can becut off from the reservoir when desired.

Loosely mounted within the vent pipe 6 is the long leg 10 of an oillevel gauge pipe of the goose neck type. The short leg 10 of this pipeis connected to the long or main leg in the form of a goose-neck, andsaid short leg extends downwardly into the reservoir through a stuffingbox 11', whereby the oil gauge pipe, as a whole, can be raised orlowered and held in such adjusted position vby its frictional engagementwith the parts of the stuffing box.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that when the oilreservoir is filled or partly filled, and it is desired to maintain apredetermined level of oil within the bottom of the crank case, all thatis necessary is that the operator raise the oil level gauge pipe to aposition, where its bottom or mouth is, for example, 3 inches from thebottom of the crank case. This elevation of the mouth of the leg 10 willpositively fix the level of oil in the crank case which is fed from thereservoir, and when the fixed level is reached, the mouth of long leg 10of the gauge pipe will break the oil seal in connection with the ventpipe extending upward from the feed pipe whereby a further feed of theoil into the crank case will be checked. In other words, the position ofthe lower end of the oil gauge pipe will determine the depth of oil tobe maintained in the crank case, and when the depth of oil in said crankcase drops below the bottom of the gauge pipe leg 10, the feed will bebroken by the air gap in con nection with the vent pipe 6.

It will be noted that the short leg of the oil level gauge pipe is ofsuch length with respect to the long leg, that said pipe, as a whole,can be adjusted to approximately the capacity of the oil reservoirwithout causing the short leg to be disconnected from its stuffing boxunion.

l Vhile we have shown and described one simple exemplification of ourinvention, it is understood that we may vary the structural features ofit within the scope of the claims as they will be hereinafterinterpreted by those skilled in the art.

We claim:

1. An. oil feed mechanism for engine ci'ank cases comprising areservoir, a valve controlled feed pipe extending from the reservoirinto the bottom of the crank case, a vent pipe in communication with thefeed pipe, the same being" extended above the normal line oi oilmaintained in a goose neck pipe having a short leg and a long leg, saidbeingconnected rigidly together, the long leg being adjustable Withinthe vent pipe to predeterminately c011- trol the level of oil Within theera nl: case, said legs being simultaneously adjustable;

2. Ail oil feed mechanisn1 comprising an oil splash pan, an oilreservoir associated therewlth, a valve controlled feed pipe in thereservoir, and

communication with the reservoir and splash pan, a vent pipe connectedto the feed pipe and extending through the oil reservoir to a pointabove the same, a stuffing box extending from the top of the oilreservoir, a U-shaped pipe having short leg adjustable Within thestufling box, and a relatively longer leg adj nstably mounted in. thevent pipe, the lower end of said long leg being adapted to control thelever of oil within the splash pan.

In testimony that We claim the foregoing We have hereunto set our handsat Dane, in the county of Dane and State of Wisconsin.

LAWVRENCE M. ENDR ES. MICHAEL A. ENDRES.

